Apparatus for permeating fibrous materials with liquids



Feb. 25, 1969 APPARATUS FOR Filed June 13, 1966 Fig. 1

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PERMEATING FIBROUS MATERIALS WITH LIQUIDS Sheet of 4 4 4M fiver Feb. 25, 1969 H ELLNER 3,429,149

APPARATUS FOR PERMEATING FIBROUS MATERIALS WITH LIQUIDS Filed June 16, 1966 Sheet 2 of 4 I I I H ELLNER Feb. 25, 1969 APPARATUS FOR PERMEATING FIBROUS MATERIALS WITH LIQUIDS Sheet Filed June 15, 1966 Inventor.

Feb. 25, 1969 H ELLNER APPARATUS FOR PERMEATING FIBROUS MATERIALS WITH LIQUIDS Filed June 15, 1966 Fllg. 5

Sheet 4 Inventor;

3,429,149 APPARATUS FOR PERMEATING FHBRQUS MATERIAL WITH LKQUIDS Hans Ellner, Stuttgart-Weilimdorf, Germany, assiguor t Hans Eliner, Stuttgart, Germany, a firm Filed June 13, 1966, Ser. No. 557,128 Claims priority, application Germany, Dec. 23, 1965,

E 30,723 US. (:1. 68-450 rm. c1. nest 17/02, 35/00 13 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The present invention relates to an apparatus for saturating fibrous and like permeable materials with liquids, particularly for saturating filaments, fabrics and other types and forms of textile materials with dyestuffs, bleaching solutions and other liquids.

It is already known to treat stockings, filaments, bales or analogous semifinished or finished textile and other permeable materials with liquids, for example, to permeate such materials with suitable dyestuffs. In many conventional apparatus, the material to be treated is introduced into the chamber of a liquid-containing cylinder and is caused to move up and down. It is also known to place such material into a cage and to move the cage up and down in the chamber of the cylinder by resorting to a suitable reciprocating drive. The cage is provided with apertured end walls so that the liquid can enter its interior to penetrate into the material which is contained therein. As a rule, the cage is inserted in the cylinder with at least some clearance so that the liquid can bypass the material which is accommodated in the interior of the cage. The reciprocating drive is connected with the upper end of the cage and the upper end of the cylinder is open. It can be said that the cage acts not unlike a plunger which is considered desirable to make sure that the material to he treated is brought into repeated contact with continuously circulated or agitated liquid. A serious drawback of just described conventional apparatus is that the core displaces the liquid in the cylinder so that, instead of penetrating into the material to be treated thereby, the liquid yields and is not likely to saturate the entire stock in the cage. Attempts to improve such apparatus by the provision of pumping devices which cause the liquid to flow counter to the direction of movement of the core have met with limited success, mainly because such apparatus are too bulky or too complicated, and also because they cannot bring about absolutely reliable saturation of all zones or layers of a batch of fibrous or like material with treating liquid, especially if the material to be treated is accommodated in the cage in tightly packed condition. For example, and if the material to be treated consists of one or more spools of tightly convoluted filarnentary material, the liquid will treat the exterior of the spool but will fail to penetrate into the inner layer or layers of filamentary material. In such apparatus, partial penetration of liquid into the interior of a tightly packed batch of filamentary or like permeable material is due mainly to diffusion, i.e., not to the pressure which develops in the cylinder when the cage is set in motion. Furthermore, and since the upper end of the cylinder is open,

atent Dthce 3,4Z9,i49 Patented Feb. 25, 1969 the core cannot be reciprocated at a high speed because the liquid treating medium would splash all around the apparatus.

Accordingly, it is an important object of the present invention to provide an improved apparatus which may be utilized to saturate fibrous and like permeable materials with a liquid treating medium and which is constructed and assembled in such a way that the liquid can invariably permeate all zones or layers of the material even if the latter is tightly packed in or around a suitable cage or carrier.

Another object of the invention is to provide an ap paratus of the just outlined characteristics which compels a body of entrapped liquid to penetrate through the entire batch of textile or like material whenever the apparatus is in actual use so that complete saturation of such material can be accomplished within short periods of time.

A further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus which is especially suited for saturating textile or like materials with dyestufis or bleaching solutions and wherein the rate at which such permeation or saturation progresses may be regulated in a very simple and timesaving manner.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus whose output exceeds considerably the output of conventional apparatus which are used for saturating fibrous or other permeable materials with dyestuffs, bleaching solutions or other suitable liquid treating media.

A concomitant object of the invention is to provide an improved cylinder and piston unit which may be utilized in an apparatus of the above outlined characteristics.

Another object of the instant invention is to provide a novel carrier for textile or like permeable materials which may be utiiized in the above outlined apparatus.

Briefly stated, one feature of my present invention resides in the provision of an apparatus for saturating fibrous and other permeable materials with liquids, particularly for permeating batches of filamentary, sheet-like or other textile materials with dyestuffs or bleaching liquids. In its elementary form, the improved apparatus comprises hollow cylinder means containing a supply of liquid, piston means reciprocably received in and dividing the interior of the cylinder means into a first and a second compartment, and an apertured carrier provided on the piston means in the first compartment and having an internal chamber. The carrier and the cylinder means define between themselves a second chamber which occupies a portion of the first compartment. One of these chambers is arranged to accommodate a batch of permeable material and the apparatus further comprises conduit means eX- tending through the piston means to connect the internal chamber of the carrier with the second compartment, as well as drive means for eifecting relative movement between the piston and cylinder means to thus increase the volume of one compartment at the expense of the other compartment and to induce a flow of liquid from the other compartment, through the apertured carrier, through the conduit means, through the permeable material in the one chamber, and into the one compartment whereby such liquid rapidly permeates the material.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic of the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The improved apparatus itself, however, both as to its construction and its mode of operation, together with additional features and advantages thereof, will be best understood upon perusal of the following detailed description of certain specific embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an axial section through an apparatus which embodies one form of my invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary axial sectional view of a detail of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 illustrates on a greater scale that portion of the apparatus which is surrounded by a phantom-line circle shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 illustrates a different position of a one-way valve which is shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a partly elevational and partly vertical sectional view of a modified apparatus;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary axial section through a third apparatus; and

FIG. 7 is a transverse horizontal section as seen in the direction of arrows from the line VIIVII of FIG. 6.

Referring first to FIG. 1, there is shown an apparatus which embodies one form of my invention and which may be used for saturating relatively large spools 57 of tightly convoluted filamentary material with a suitable liquid dyestuff or bleaching liquid. The apparatus comprises a main support or base 10 which forms part of a frame 12 and is provided with an opening for the lower portion a of a hollow upright cylinder 14. This lower portion 20a resembles a cup whose fiange 16 overlies the base 10 and is secured thereto by bolts, screws or similar fasteners. The upper portion 20 of the cylinder 14 extends upwardly and beyond the base 10 and preferably consists of transparent or translucent material. As clearly shown in FIG. 3, the lower end of the upper portion 20 is sealingly received in an annular groove of the lower portion 20a and bears against an annular sealing ring 20b which consists of elastic material. The cylinder 14 further comprises an annular end wall 22 which is provided at the top of the upper portion 20 and is coupled to the flange 16 by a set of vertical tie rods 24. The upper ends of tie rods 24 take nuts 70 which must be removed when the opeartor desires to gain access to the interior of the cylinder 14. The lower ends of the tie rods 24 are screwed into the flange 16. The apparatus of FIG. 1 is assumed to comprise two tie rods 24 which are located diametrically opposite each other.

The end wall 22 carries a threaded nipple which serves as an inlet for admission of liquid into the interior of the cylinder 14. The upper end of a tube 28 which supplies liquid to the nipple 30 is normally sealed by a threaded plug 26. The nipple 30 is further provided with a transparent observation Window 27. When the operator wishes to introduce a fresh supply of liquid, the plug 26 is removed and the tube 28 is connected to a tank by means of a suitable hose or the like, not shown.

The lower portion 20a of the cylinder 14 accommodates an electric heating coil 29 which serves as a means for maintaining the liquid at an optimum temperature. This heating coil may be replaced by another suitable heating device, for example, by a heat exchanger which contains a supply of circulating heating fluid.

The flange 16 of the cylinder 14 is located directly below a shallow annular tray 31 which surrounds the transparent cylinder portion 20 and serves to intercept and to collect any such liquid which overflows or escapes during introduction into the interior of the cylinder. The tray 31 is mounted on the tie rods 24 and is spaced from the flange 16 by suitable washers or the like. An annular sealing ring 32 is interposed between the tray 31 and the periphery of the transparent cylinder portion 20.

The bottom wall of the lower cylinder portion 20a is provided with a centrally located annular guide sleeve 36 which contains an elastic packing 37 and is traversed by a reciprocable piston rod 38 which forms part of a drive 90 for the piston 42 of the dyeing apparatus. The upper end portion of this piston rod 38 forms a head 40 which is integral with the piston 42 whose peripheral surface is provided with a circumferential groove for an elastic sealing ring 44 which bears against the internal surface of the upper cylinder portion 20. As clearly shown in FIG. 1, the piston 42 divides the interior of the cylinder 14 into a first compartment 18a and a second compartment 18. This piston 42 further carries an annular support 52a (see FIG. 3) which is rigid with the lower end of an apertured cylindrical carrier 52. The support 52a accommodates a sealing ring and rests on a second sealing ring 48 which is fitted into an internal annular groove of the piston 42. The carrier 52 has an internal chamber 52!) and defines with the transparent cylinder portion 20 an annular second chamber 52c which oc cupies a portion of the upper compartment 18a. This second or outer chamber 520 receives a spool 57 of filamentary material which can be introduced upon removal of the top wall 22, i.e., subsequent to removal of nuts 70. In the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 4, the carrier 52 constitutes an apertured core for the spool 57 and has a large number of uniformly or randomly distributed, identically or differently dimensioned and/ or configurated apertures 62. The upper end of the carrier 52 is surrounded by a washer 52d and the carrier is traversed by a spindle 54 anchored in the head 40 of the piston rod 38. The upper end of the spindle 54 meshes with a nut 58 which cooperates with the spindle and serves to bias the washer 52a against the upper end of the spool 57. At the same time, the nut 58 seals the upper end of the tubular carrier 52. The lower end portion of the carrier 52 is surrounded by a sleeve 60 on which the properly inserted spool 57 comes to rest. In other words, a properly introduced spool is held between the sleeve 60 and washer 52d. The nut 58 may be replaced by a wing nut or the like.

The internal chamber 52b of the carrier 52 is connected with the lower compartment 18 of the cylinder 14 by conduit means here shown as including an annular clearance 63 between the periphery of the spindle 54 and the adjoining portions of the parts 52a, 48 and 50, and a set of radially extending bores 64 machined into the head 40 of the piston rod 38. Such conduit means will allow the liquid to flow from the chamber 52b to the compartment 18 or vice versa.

The aforementioned drive 96 for the piston 42 comprises the piston rod 38 and a device for reciprocating the piston rod 38 through strokes of desired length and at an optimum speed, preferably at a constant speed. When the piston 42 moves upwardly (see the arrow A in FIG. 1), it increases the volume of the lower compartment 18 at the expense of the upper compartment 18a whereby the liquid which fills or nearly fills the upper compartment is compelled to penetrate through the filamentary material of the spool 57, through the apertures 62 of the carrier 52 (i.e., from the annular chamber 520 into the internal chamber 52b), through the conduit means 63, 64 and into the lower compartment 18. Inversely, and when the piston 42 performs a downward stroke, the liquid will be compelled to flow upwardly through the conduit means 64, 63, from the chamber 52b, through the apertures 62, through the filamentary material 57 in the chamber 520, and into the upper compartment 18a. Such back-and-forth flow of liquid will result in exceptionally rapid and thorough saturation of filamentary material.

The drive 90 further includes an electric motor 77 or another suitable (pneumatic or hydraulic) prime mover which is mounted on the base 10, a clutch 78 which is driven by the output shaft 77a of the motor 77, and an eccentric assembly 80 including a motion transmitting arm 82 which is coupled to the lower end of the piston rod 38 by a member 84. The motor 77 may be of the constant-speed or of the variable-speed type, and the eccentric assembly 80 is preferably adjustable so that it may regulate the length of strokes of the piston 42.

Spent liquid may be evacuated through a discharge pipe 72 which communicates with the bottom zone of the lower compartment 18 and contains a shutoff valve 74. The pipe 72 discharges into a collecting line 76 which can receive spent liquid from a series of apparatus each of which may be identical with the apparatus of FIG. 1.

The amounts of liquid treating medium which are compelled to flow through the spool 57 in response to each upward or downward stroke of the piston 42 may be regulated by adjusting the length of such strokes. In this way, the operator can prevent felting or matting of fibers while simultaneously insuring that the operation can be completed within exceptionally short periods of time and in such a way that each individual fiber of the filamentary material is completely saturated with liquid.

The amounts of liquid necessary to bring about such complete saturation are small.

It is clear that the carrier 52 can support two or more superimposed spools 57, Warp beams or similar bodies of permeable material. The liquid which is contained in the cylinder 14 may be used for bleaching or dyeing of textile or like permeable materials.

FIGS. 2 to 4 illustrate that the piston 42 is formed with one or more vertical passages or bores 45 each of which may be plugged by a sealing element 43 (see FIG. 2). Such sealing element 43 can be held in sealing position by a radial lock screw 49. When a sealing element 43 is removed, the corresponding passage 45 may receive a reversible one-way valve 47, here shown as a ball check valve having a ball 51 which bears against its seat under the bias of a helical expansion spring 51a. The valve 47 forms a self-supporting unit which may be fitted into the passage 45 and whose housing is then engageable by the lock screw 49.

If a valve 47 is inserted in a manner as illustrated in FIG. 4, it will allow liquid to flow from the lower compartment 18 and directly into the upper compartment 18a of the cylinder 14 provided, of course, that the piston 42 performs a downward stroke. When the piston 42 moves upwardly, the ball 51 prevents the flow of liquid from the compartment 18a into the compartment 18 so that all of the liquid which is displaced from the compartment 18a must penetrate through the filamentary material of the spool 57 and thereupon flows from the chamber 52b, through the conduit means 63, 64 and into the compartment 18. In other words, a valve 47 which is inserted in a manner as shown in FIG. 4 will reduce in half the number of effective strokes of the piston 42 because, while the piston moves downwardly, the liquid will find the path of least resistance and will escape from the compartment 18 by flowing through the valve 47 rather than through the spool 57. If the operator wishes to revert to a mode of operation as described in connection with FIG. 1, the valve 47 of FIG. 4 is replaced by a sealing element 43 so that the corresponding passage 45 cannot provide a direct connection between the compartments 18 and 18a.

As stated before, each valve 47 is preferably reversible, i.e., it may be inserted from either side of the piston 42. FIG. 3 shows two one-way valves 47 which are inserted from the underside of the piston 42 so that they permit the flow of liquid from the compartment 18a into the compartment 18 (when the piston 42 moves upwardly) but not in the opposite direction. Thus, by the simple expedient of reversing the position of valves 47, the operator can adjust the apparatus to permeate a batch of fibrous material while the piston performs downward or upward strokes. Furthermore, by replacing the valves 47 with sealing elements 43, the operator can speed up the permeating action because each successive stroke of the piston 42 is then eifective to cause the flow of liquid through the material in the chamber 52c.

As stated hereinabove, the spool 57 may be inserted or removed in response to detachment of the nuts 70 and end wall 22.

FIG. 5 illustrates a modified apparatus wherein all such parts which are clearly analogous to or identical with the corresponding parts of the previously described apparatus are denoted by similar reference characters. This modified apparatus is intended for dyeing or bleaching of discrete articles or particles of textile material, such as flakes, stockings or the like. The material to be treated is accommodated in the internal chamber 52b of a basket-like carrier supported by a piston 112 which simultaneously constitutes the lower end wall of the carrier 105 and provides a partial closure for the lower end of the chamber 52b. The piston rod 38 is provided with a coaxial extension 100 which corresponds to the spindle 54 of FIG. 1 and forms part of biasing means for the upper end wall 120 of the carrier 105. The piston 112 is formed with apertures which together constitute a conduit means and permit the liquid to flow between the internal chamber 52b and the compartment 18 in the lower portion 20a of the cylinder 14. The aperture 110 are located within the confines of the basket-like carrier 105 and the periphery of the piston 112 is formed with a groove for an elastic sealing ring 114 which bears against the internal surface of the upper cylinder portion 20 so that the compartments 18, 18a are sealed from each other. The mantle or shell 116 of the carrier 105 resembles a sieve whose apertures or perforations permit the liquid to flow between the chambers 52b and 52c. The top end wall 120 is also formed with apertures through which the liquid can flow between the compartment 18a and the chamber 52b.

As can be readily determined from a comparison of FIGS. 1 and 5, the apparatus of FIG. 5 differs from the apparatus of FIG. 1 mainly in that the material to be treated is accommodated in the internal chamber 52b. Also, the liquid can fiow not only through the perforations or interstices of the shell 116 but also through the top wall 120 of the carrier 105.

The apparatus of FIG. 5 is assumed to comprise a total of four tie rods 24. -It is clear that the apparatus may be constructed and assembled in such a way that its cylinder 14 can accommodate the carrier 52 of FIG. 1 or the carrier 105 of FIG. 1. Such apparatus is very versatile because it can be used for bleaching, dyeing and other treatment of annular or discrete permeable materials.

Referring finally to FIGS. 6 and 7, there is shown an apparatus which constitutes a modification of the apparatus illustrated in FIG. 5. This apparatus is especially suited for dyeing or bleaching of fioccuent or filamentary textile materials. The carrier or core 134 is spacedly surrounded by a liquid-permeable cage which defines therewith an annular chamber 52c" serving to accommodate a batch 57" of textile or other permeable material. The piston 132 is affixed to or is integral with the detachable head 40 of the piston rod 38 and is reciprocable in the transparent upper portion 20 of the cylinder 14. The piston rod 38 further carries a coaxial spindle 136 which extends upwardly through and beyond the carrier 134 and takes a biasing nut 144. The purpose of the nut 144 is to force the upper end wall 138 of the cage 130 against the open upper end of the carrier 134. The piston 132 supports a lower end wall 140 which in turn supports the lower end of the cage 130. This cage comprises an annulus of equidistant parallel rods 142 which are connected by circumferentially extending links or bars 142a, see particularly FIG. 7. The interstices between the rods 142 and bars 14211 are small enough to retain the material 57" in the chamber 520". The nut 144 is drawn tight so that the upper end wall 138 bears against a Washer 138a which in turn urges the lower ends of the rods 142 against the end wall 140. This end wall 140 is pressed against the piston 132 by a second nut 137 on the spindle 136. The conduit means which connects the chamber 52" with the lower compartment 154 includes a set of bores 146 in the bottom end wall 140, a central bore 148 in the piston 132, and a set of radially extending bores 150, 152 in the head 40" of the piston rod 38. The upper compartment of the cylinder 14 is denoted by the numeral 156.

Since the upper end of the cage 130 is sealed by the end wall 138, the liquid which is contained in the upper compartment 156 must enter the cage through the interstices between the rods 142 and bars 142a to pass through the material 57" and through the apertures of the carrier 134 in order to penetrate into the internal chamber 52b" whence it flows through the bores 146, 148, 150, 152 and into the lower compartment 154, or vice versa. In other words, the liquid must fiow radially from the internal surface of the cylinder portion 20 toward the chamber 5211" or in the opposite direction. As shown in FIG. 6, the end wall 138 is received in the cylinder portion 20 with relatively small clearance.

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is:

1. An apparatus for saturating permeable materials with liquids, particularly for permeating textile materials with dyestuffs or bleaching solutions, comprising hollow cylinder means closed at opposite ends and containing a supply of liquid substantially filling said cylinder means; piston means reciprocably received in said cylinder means and sealingly engaging the inner surface of tthe latter, said piston means dividing the interior of said cylinder means into a first and second compartment; a single elongated perforated tube fixed at one end to said piston means coaxially therewith and projecting from said piston means into said first compartment, the other end of said tube being closed, said tube and said cylinder means defining between themselves a chamber arranged to accommodate a batch of permeable material spaced from the inner surface of said cylinder means; conduit means extending through said piston means to connect the interior of said tube with said second compartment; and drive means for effecting relative movement between said cylinder and piston means to thus increase the volume of one of said compartments at the expense of the other compartment and to induce a fiow of liquid from said other compartment, through said apertured tube, through said conduit means, through the permeable material in said one chamber, and into said one compartment whereby such liquid rapidly saturates the permeable material.

2. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1, further comprising an apertured cage provided on said piston means and surrounding said chamber, the permeable material being accommodated in said chamber.

3. An apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein said cage comprises an apertured cylindrical wall and an end wall distant from said piston means and sealing one end of said cylindrical wall.

4. An apparatus as set forth in claim 3, wherein said piston means abuts against the other end of said cylindrical shell.

5. An apparatus as set forth in claim 3, further comprising biasing means for urging said end well against the respective end of said carrier.

6. A structure as set forth in claim 5, wherein said biasing means comprises a spindle movable with said piston means and extending through and beyond said carrier, and a nut meshing with said spindle outwardly of said end wall.

7. A structure as set forth in claim 1, wherein said drive means comprises means for reciprocating said piston means through strokes of predetermined length and at a predetermined speed.

8. A structure as set forth in claim 1, further comprising means for heating the liquid in said cylinder means.

9. A structure as set forth in claim 1, wherein said cylinder means comprises a removable portion to afford access to said one chamber for introduction or removal of permeable material.

10. An apparatus for saturating permeable materials with liquids, particularly for permeating textile materials with dyestuffs or bleaching solutions, comprising hollow cylinder means containing a supply of liquid; piston means reciprocably received in and dividing the interior of said cylinder means into a first and a second compartment, said piston means being provided with at least one passage establishing a direct connection between said compartments one-way valve means provided in said passage to permit the liquid to flow from one of said compartments into the other compartment in response to relative movement between said piston and cylinder means; an apertured carrier provided on said piston means in said first compartment and having an internal chamber, said carrier and said cylinder means defining between themselves a second chamber and one of the chambers being arranged to accommodate a batch of permeable material; conduit means extending through said piston means to connect said internal chamber with said second compartment; and drive means for effecting relative movement between said cylinder and piston means to thus increase the volume of one of said compartments at the expense of the other compartment and to induce a flow of liquid from said other compartment, through said apertured carrier, through said conduit means, through the permeable material in said one chamber, and into said one compartment whereby such liquid rapidly saturates the permeable material.

11. An apparatus as set forth in claim 10, wherein the position of said valve means is reversible so that, when its position is reversed, the valve means permits the liquid to flow from the other compartment into the one compartment.

12. An apparatus as set forth in claim 10, wherein said valve means comprises a one-way ball check valve.

13. An apparatus for saturating permeable materials with liquids, particularly for permeating textile materials with dyestuffs or bleaching solutions, comprising hollow cylinder means containing a supply of liquid; piston means reciprocably received in and dividing the interior of said cylinder means into a first and a second compartment, said piston means being provided with at least one passage establishing a direct connection between said compartments; removable sealing means for plugging said passage; and apertured carrier provided on said piston means in said first compartment and having an internal chamber, said carrier and said cylinder means defining between themselves a second chamber and one of the chambers being arranged to accommodate a batch of permeable material; conduit means extending through said piston means to conect said internal chamber to said second compartment; and drive means for effecting relative movement between said cylinder and piston means to thus increase the volume of one of said compartments at the expense of the other compartment and to induce a flow of liquid from said other compartment, through said apertured carrier, through said conduit means, through the permeable material in said one chamber, and into said one compartment whereby such liquid rapidl saturates the permeable material.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 704,191 7/1902 Illingworth et al 68150 1,789,745 1/1931 Hebden 68-489 FOREIGN PATENTS 70,483 10/ 1930 Sweden. 18,115 1889 Great Britain.

OTHER REFERENCES German printed application Ser. No. 1,144,227, February 1963 (Pfeiffer).

WILLIAM T. PRICE, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 68-156, 189 

